Engine without horn

[Anonymous]

Hey Guys,
Here's another interresting question. I have an engine that doesn't have a horn.It is a diesel engine. I think a tender with a horn would look stupid. Have any suggestions how i can have some kind of horn? Do they make a caboose with a horn?? or do i have to go hornless.

Thanks,
Steve

[ChiefEagles]

Good question. I'm now building a new layout that has been stored since the mid 80's. All my diesels are hornless. Bought some thing back in early 80's that I put in one but had no volume. I'm sure somone makes something by now. Thanks for asking the question.

[brianel027]

Guys, if your layouts are room size, a stationary horn is just fine. Really you're not missing much - many of the horns included for many years in the lower-end DC can motored engines including Williams, K-Line and Lionel left much to be desired. Lionel's catalogs state the diesel horn has been redesigned as of last year, but I have yet to hear it. I built my own stationary horns using different combinations of electronic buzzers which sounds better than most of those early electronic blurps.

Check out the MRC Sound Station. It's a plug in device with a hand-held controller and two speakers with adjustable volume. There's a diesel horn and well as a steam whistle, chuffing sounds, diesel motor sounds, bells, brake sounds etc. For around $50 you won't find a better deal for having sound on your layout. And if you guys have kids, this one is a real kid pleaser.

Lionel also once made a diesel horn shed and a whisle shed. I still see those for sale. There are also the separate sale Lionel Railsounds box cars with either steam or diesel sounds.

[Chris F]

In this case, good sounds are in the ears of the beholder! I've got the early RailSounds cars and it's clear that the sounds are not coming from the locomotive.

The "hot" sound suppliers these days are Digital Dynamics ( www.digitdynam.com ) and TrainAmerica Studios ( www.tastudios.com ). Another company to check out is Dallee Electronics (www.dallee.com ). Ott Machine Services made low-cost generic sound boards, but I haven't seen their ads recently.

[Anonymous]

Hey guys,
Thanks for the info. It's a great start. Brian, i'll be checking into the boxcars and that sound station. I thought you would be responding. I was the guy in the uncatolog topic. When i have more time i'll check those other websites. I really like this train site. I'll be visiting my train store later today, i'll check out some of those ideas.

Steve

[brianel027]

Thanks Steve! Hey, it is like what Chris F said though... what works (sounds good) for one person may not work for another. I've always had a high level of creativity and a powerful imagination - that's never left me. So the power of "pretend" is still with me as a adult, which I think helps keep me young. So I like the simplier sounds.

I find it so ironic how folks pay so much more for digital sound and then turn it off. The MRC Sound Stantion won't break your bank, and it's there when you want it. I happen to enjoy coming up with my own ideas and making stuff for my trains.

I guess I think too much like the old movies... where something was implied or suggested. I think that's more powerful than seeing every little detail in technological digital glory.

[Anonymous]

I seem to remember a company called Ott Machine Services who
sold add-on electronic horns, whistles, bells, etc. at York. I bought
a couple and installed them with no problem. I liked them because
they don't need a battery and are compatible with older Lionel locos/

[brianel027]

Here's another do-it-yourself alternative for making a horn. I'm a musician [:-^] and among my instruments, I have some electronic keyboard of different types. I was messing around one day and thought some of the different sounds with certain notes like A minor or F sharp had kind of a nice train horn sound to them, epecially adding echo or reverb.

So I was at a yard sale with a train buddy who needed a horn. I spotted a cheap $10 keyboard and said "get that and you'll have your train horn."
To which he said [%-)]
I explained my experimenting to him and suggested he rig the thing up under the train board with a bicycle brake cable for the controller that would hit the right note or notes when pressed. Railsounds this isn't, but a far cry better than the electronic blurps or bicycle buzzers used as horns.

I ran to him the other day and he thanked me for my little ingenious idea. He pulled the thing apart and added a couple of slightly larger speakers that he had in his junk pile. He put a spring at the beginning of the brake cable "controller" for better response. And he rigged up a couple for a "big engine" horn and a "small engine" horn. He was pleased with the effect, said his kid was thrilled, and that his wife was even happier that he didn't blow a lot of money on the project.

This is the kind of stuff that makes the hobby fun and gives a kid a lot of pride in being able to say he helped dad make that!!

Some folks say "I'm full of it." [:D]
That may be so, but I'm also full of good ideas for trains too. [^]

[cnw1995]

This is a very clever idea. I was also experimenting with a train sounds CD and a CD player - I could turn it on at the exact place where the horn sounded...

[Anonymous]

Weaver sells modulars wil just horn and bell. Or Steam whistle and bell.

[cnw1995]

Rooting around a bit more - I found an old MRC Sound station - with steam whiste/ diesel horn. It used to work connected to the track and have a steam chuff and diesel mutter in sync to the movement but it doesn't apparently work with AC. The great thing for my son is it has a slide bar to make your own creative movements with the horn or whistle